Alamein

Rating:
Summary: The Commonwealth Effort
Review: Alamein by Jon Latimer is a modern study utilizing ULTRA and also exploring the naval and air aspects at the battle of El Alamein. It is primarily focused on the British/Commonwealth effort at the battle, and so it can be faulted in not having more on the Axis, but that is not its aim. It explores the "how" the battle impacted Britain and how the battle was influenced by Montgomery. For a serious study it is highly readable. It also benefits from modern computer graphics for an extensive map section.

Rating:
Summary: Exceptional Battlefield Study
Review: I was astonished to read reviews below complaining that this eminently readable study of a major World War II battle was 'too detailed'. What do people expect from Harvard University Press? Free crayons and a colouring-in guide?

This book brings the desert war to life, explaining the mechanics while allowing the participants to tell the story, including the crucial and often overlooked aspect of logistics. It gives full credit to the Commonwealth contribution to this 'British' victory, even down to bar-room brawls in Cairo between various contingents. It also offers an even-handed analysis of the chief protagonists, Montgomery and Rommel. Sure there are no new revelations, but short of their turning out to be alien lizards, what do you expect? And yes, war really is hell, and this is not a book to buy if you want the Disneyfied version.

Rating:
Summary: Well-balanced treatment of the battle.
Review: The Battle of El Alamein is bound up in considerations of the dominant general on both sides, Montgomery for the British and Rommel for the Germans and Italians. Latimer describes the battle at a level of detail that keeps the reader from becoming confused, while pointing out that the battle itself WAS confusing. Both Montgomery and Rommel are fairly criticized, Montgomery for taking too much credit upon himself and Rommel for deliberately ignoring logistical concerns. Latimer, however, is not out to "debunk" either general, and in fact supports Montgomery against some charges laid against him by Corelli Barnett (DESERT GENERALS.) Latimer makes sure to credit the Italians when they did fight, and shows that while the British manned the tanks, Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans carried the day as the infantry. He also significantly discusses the excellent British logistical preparations, pointing out that the British had been supporting armies overseas since the 18th century and knew the importance of ports, roads, and supply centers. He also describes the contribution of the Desert Air Force, which included US fighter and light bomber units. As far as negatives, this reviewer didn't care for the clustering of maps at the beginning, and would have appreciated a British-to-American glossary as well as some extended discussion about relative equipment scales between the forces; Latimer, like many historians of the Desert Campaign, focusses almost exclusively on tank counts and overlooks the differing numbers of artillery and support vehicles. Nonetheless, hightly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: War is hell, but it shouldn't be for us
Review: This is an exceptional work and contains the most esoteric detail, almost a bullet by bullet, gun by gun, tank by tank replay of the bloody African campaign in late 1942 between the British Empire forces and the Axis powers. The book however lacks new insights and gives sparse print to the roles of Montbomery and Rommel, which was my real interest in obtaining this book. Many times I had to force myself to plod through myriad details, however begrudgingly admiring the scholarly effort Mr. Latimer has put forth. There are some wonderful anecdotes and quotes from officers and men on the line, many of whom did not return from this battle. No question about it - war is hell. This may be your cup of tea, to borrow a pun from the book, but I think what I really needed was a Diet Pepsi.